TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of mobile terminals, and in
particular to a camera module and a mobile terminal.
BACKGROUND
[0002] In mobile terminals such as mobile phones, the front camera occupies part of the
space of the display screen, and the space for increasing the screen ratio of the
mobile phone is limited, affecting the realization of full-screen mobile phones.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0003] Based on that, a camera module and a mobile terminal is required to be provided.
The present disclosure provides a camera module, capable of being detachably installed
on a host of the mobile terminal and operating with the host cooperatively. The camera
module includes:
a main board, defining a first mounting hole;
a battery stacked on the main board and defining a second mounting hole corresponding
to the first mounting hole;
a lens assembly including a bracket and a camera, wherein the camera is installed
on the bracket, the bracket is contained in a space defined by both the first mounting
hole and second mounting hole, the camera is disposed through the first mounting hole,
and a light incident surface of the camera is exposed out of the first mounting hole;
and
a housing sleeved on the main board and the battery.
In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a camera module, capable of
being detachably installed on a host of the mobile terminal and operating with the
host cooperatively. The camera module includes:
a main board, defining a first mounting hole;
a battery stacked on the main board, wherein the battery has a stacking surface capable
of being stacked on the main board, and a second mounting hole is defined on the stacking
surface corresponding to the first mounting hole;
a lens assembly including a bracket and a camera, wherein the camera is installed
on the bracket, the bracket is contained in a space defined by both the first mounting
hole and second mounting hole, a light incident surface of the camera is arranged
on a same side where the stacking surface is arranged; and
a housing sleeved on the main board and the battery.
[0004] In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a mobile terminal, including
a host and the camera module as described above, wherein the camera module is capable
of being wired or wirelessly connected with the host.
[0005] In another embodiment, the present disclosure provides a camera module, including:
a main board including a contacting surface and a connecting surface arranged opposite
to the contacting surface, wherein the main board defines a first mounting hole penetrating
the contacting surface and the connecting surface;
a battery stacked on the contacting surface and defining a second mounting hole communicating
with the first mounting hole;
a lens assembly including a camera, wherein a part of the lens assembly is disposed
through the first mounting hole and second mounting hole, and an ambient light on
a side of the connecting surface is capable of entering into the camera; and
a housing sleeved on the main board and the battery. In another embodiment, the present
disclosure provides a mobile terminal including a host and the a camera module as
described above, wherein the camera module is capable of being installed on and detached
from the host, and wirelessly connected with the host after being detached.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] To further illustrate technical solutions of embodiments of the present disclosure
or the technical solutions in the prior art, drawings needed for description of the
embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the following drawings are only
some embodiments of the present disclosure. To any one of skill in the art, other
drawings may be obtained without any creative work based on the following drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a camera module according to an embodiment of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a partial structure in FIG. 1 after a housing is removed.
FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the camera module of FIG. 1 when a connecting plug is
rotated to a certain position.
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the camera module of FIG. 1 when the connecting plug
is rotated to another position.
FIG. 6 is a schematic front view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a schematic bottom view of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a schematic side view of FIG. 6.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a host according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0007] To make any one of skill in the art to understand the technical solutions of the
present disclosure, the present disclosure will be described detailedly with reference
to the accompanying drawings. The drawings show preferred embodiments of the present
disclosure. However, the present disclosure may be implemented in many different forms
and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The embodiments are to provide
a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the present disclosure.
[0008] A terminal device in the present disclosure refers to a device capable of receiving
and/or transmitting communication signals via any one or more of the connection methods
including and not limited to:
- (1) connection via wired lines, such as a public switched telephone network (PSTN),
a digital subscriber line (DSL), a digital cable, and a direct cable connection;
- (2) connection via wireless interface, such as a cellular network, a wireless local
area network (WLAN), a digital television network such as a DVB-H network, a satellite
network, and an AM-FM broadcast transmitter.
[0009] The terminal device configured to communicate through a wireless interface may be
referred to as a "mobile terminal". The mobile terminals may include and are not limited
to:
- (1) a satellite phone or a cellular phone;
- (2) a personal communications system (PCS) terminal capable of combining a cellular
radiotelephone with data processing, facsimile, and data communication capabilities;
- (3) a radiotelephone, a pager, an Internet / Intranet access, a Web browser, a memo
pad, a calendar, a personal digital assistant (PDA) equipped with a global positioning
system (GPS) receiver;
- (4) a conventional laptop and/or palmtop receiver;
- (5) a conventional laptop and/or palmtop radio telephone transceiver, etc.
[0010] Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, the present disclosure provides a camera module 10
according to an embodiment. The camera module 10 is capable of being detachably arranged
on a host 20 of a mobile terminal. The camera module 10 and the host 20 of the mobile
terminal may operate cooperatively. The mobile terminal may be a smart phone or a
tablet, etc. When the camera module 10 is installed (for example, inserted) on the
host 20, the host 20 may control a shooting function of the camera module 10 through
a wired connection. The camera module 10 does not occupy an installation space of
a display 21 on the host 20. In the case that the shooting function is performed and
an overall size of the host 20 is constant, an area of the display 21 could be increased.
In such a way, the ratio of the area of the display 21 to the area of the host 20
could be increased, that is, a screen ratio of the host 20 could be increased and
the screen ratio of the mobile terminal could be increased. When the camera module
10 is detached from the host 20, the host 20 may control the shooting function of
the camera module 10 through a wireless connection. Therefore, in a state of the camera
module 10 being installed on the host 20 or separated from the host 20, the camera
module 10 does not occupy the installation space of the display 21 on the host 20,
and the screen ratio of the mobile terminal could be increased by increasing the area
of the display 21.
[0011] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the camera module 10 includes a main board 100, a
battery 200, a lens assembly 300, and a housing 400. A first mounting hole 110 is
defined on the main board 100. The battery 200 is stacked on the main board 100. The
battery 200 is electrically connected to the main board 100 and supplies power to
the main board 100. A second mounting hole 210 is defined on the battery 200, corresponding
to the first mounting hole 110. The lens assembly 300 includes a bracket 310 and a
camera 320 arranged on the bracket 310. An amount of the cameras 320 may be one, two
or more. The bracket 310 is electrically connected to the main board 100, such that
the camera 320 transmits data to other components arranged on the main board 100 through
the bracket 310. The bracket 310 may be completely contained in a space defined by
both the first mounting hole 110 and the second mounting hole 210. The camera 320
may be disposed through the first mounting hole 110 of the main board 100. A light
incident surface 321 of the camera 320 may be arranged back to the battery 200. The
housing 400 may be sleeved on the main board 100 and the battery 200, protecting the
main board 100 and the battery 200. The housing 400 may protect the main board 100
and the battery 200 from being corroded by an adherence of liquid droplets and dust
and from being damaged by an external impact, which could ensure that the camera module
10 has a sufficiently long service life.
[0012] The battery 200 is stacked on the main board 100. The bracket 310 is contained in
the space defined by both the first mounting hole 110 and the second mounting hole
210. The camera 320 is disposed through the first mounting hole 110. In such a way,
the bracket 310 and the camera 320 occupy the space defined by the first mounting
hole 110 and the second mounting hole 210, that is, most or even all of the lens assembly
300 is received in the first mounting hole 110 and the second mounting hole 210. Compared
with directly adhering the lens assembly 300 on a surface of the main board 100, in
a case where a thickness of the battery 200 and that of the main board 100 are constant,
a part of the lens assembly 300, which is received in the first mounting hole 110
and the second mounting hole 210, does not occupy the thickness dimension of the camera
module 10. In such a way, a thickness of a part of the lens assembly 300 that is protruded
out of the main board 100 and the surface of the battery 200 along a thickness direction
of the camera module 10 could be reduced or even eliminated, thereby reducing the
thickness dimension of the camera module 10. Since the first mounting hole 110 and
the second mounting hole 210 are defined, a weight of the main board 100 and the battery
200 could be reduced, and a data processing function of the motherboard 100 and a
capacity of the battery 200 may not be affected. In such a way, the camera module
10 with a thin and light design may be achieved.
[0013] The main board 100 may be a substantially rectangular board. The main board 100 has
a contacting surface 130 and a connecting surface 120. The contacting surface 130
and the connecting surface 120 are arranged opposite to each other. The contacting
surface 130 is arranged toward the battery 200, whereas the connecting surface 120
is arranged back to the battery 200. When the battery 200 is stacked on the main board
100 and the contacting surface 130 is stacked on the surface of the main board 100,
and the contacting surface 130 is thus arranged closer to the battery 200 than the
connection surface 120. The connecting surface 120 is arranged with a first board
to board (BTB) connector 140. The first BTB connector 140 is a male connector. The
first BTB connector 140 may also be replaced by a BTB connector that is a female connector.
[0014] The lens assembly 300 further includes a first flexible printed circuit (FPC) board
330. The amount of the first FPC boards 330 may be two. An end of each first FPC board
330 is connected to the bracket 310. The other end of the first FPC board 330 is a
mounting end 331. A first BTB socket 332 is arranged on the mounting end 331. The
first BTB socket 332 is a female connector. The first BTB socket 332 may also be replaced
by a BTB connector that is a male BTB connector.
[0015] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the battery 200 has a stacking surface 240 corresponding
to the main board 100. The stacking surface 240 may be stacked on the main board 100.
The battery 200 has a surface 250 opposite to the stacking surface 250. The second
mounting hole 210 is defined on a surface of the stacking surface 240. The light incident
surface 321 of the camera 320 is arranged on a same side where the stacking surface
240 is arranged. Therefore, the light incident surface 321 of the camera 320 is not
arranged in the second mounting hole 210 of the battery 200 and is not arranged on
a side where the surface 250 is arranged. That is, the light incident surface 321
of the camera 320 may be arranged in the first mounting hole 110 of the main board
100; or the light incident surface 321 of the camera 320 may be arranged outside the
first mounting hole 110, such that a configured distance between the light incident
surface 321 and the connecting surface 120 of the main board 100 may be maintained.
[0016] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, when the bracket 310 and the camera 320 are received
in the first mounting hole 110 and the second mounting hole 210, a part of the first
FPC board 330 near the bracket 310 is stacked between the main board 100 and the battery
200. Because the thickness of the first FPC board 330 is small, the dimension of the
part of the first FPC board 330 in the thickness direction of the camera module 10
may be ignored. In other embodiments, a recess may be defined on the main board 100
and/or the battery 200, and the part of the first FPC board 330 may be received in
the recess. In such a way, the dimension of the part of the first FPC board 330 in
the thickness direction of the camera module 10 may be eliminated. The mounting end
331 of the first FPC board 330 is bent, relative to other parts of the first FPC board
330, to the connecting surface 120 of the main board 100 to achieve a covering effect
on a margin of the main board 100. When the mounting end 331 is bent to the connecting
surface 120, the first BTB socket 332 on the mounting end 331 may be paired with the
first BTB connector 140 on the connection surface 120, such that the main board 100
may be electrically connected to the lens assembly 300, and a fixation of the lens
assembly 300 may be strengthened. In other embodiments, a part of the first FPC board
330 near the bracket 310 may be stacked on the battery 200 only. When the mounting
end 331 of the first FPC board 330 is bent, relative to other parts of the first FPC
board 330, to the connecting surface 120 of the main board 100, the first FPC board
330 covers the margins of the main board 100 and the battery 200 simultaneously.
[0017] When the first BTB connector 140 is paired with the first BTB socket 332, in order
to reduce a protruding distance of the mounting end 331 out of the connecting surface
120 in the thickness direction of the camera module 10, a part of the connecting surface
120 arranged with the first BTB connector 140 may be recessed along a direction toward
the battery 200 (that is, toward the contacting surface 130) with a configured depth
to form a sinker 170. The first BTB connector 140 may be arranged on a bottom wall
of the sinker 170. Therefore, the mounting end 331 may be received in the sinker 170,
thereby reducing or eliminating the distance of the mounting end 331 protruding out
of the connecting surface 120, and ensuring the camera module 10 to be thinner.
[0018] A second BTB connector may be arranged on the contacting surface 130 of the main
board 100. The second BTB connector may be a male connector. The second BTB connector
may also be replaced by a BTB connector that is a female connector. In other embodiments,
the second BTB connector may also be arranged on the connecting surface 120 of the
main board 100. The battery 200 is arranged with a second FPC board 220, an end of
the second FPC board 220 connected to the battery 200, and a second BTB socket 230
arranged on another end of the second FPC board 220. The second BTB socket 230 is
a female BTB connector, and may also be replaced by a male BTB connector. When the
battery 200 is stacked on the main board 100, the second BTB connector may be paired
with the second BTB socket 230, such that the main board 100 may be electrically connected
to the battery 200, and the battery 200 may supply power to the main board 100.
[0019] In some embodiments, the battery 200 may have a substantially rectangular structure,
and the second mounting hole 210 defined on the battery 200 may be a rectangular through
hole. A circumferential direction of the second mounting hole 210 is closed. Along
a cross-sectional direction, the rectangular structure of the battery 200 and that
of the second mounting hole 210 may be homocentric. In other embodiments, the circumferential
direction of the second mounting hole 210 is non-closed, that is, a notch is defined
on the battery 200 along a circumference of the second mounting hole 210. Along a
cross-sectional direction, the battery 200 may have an "L" shape or a crescent shape.
The notch is defined on the battery 200 along the circumference of the second mounting
hole 210, such that the weight of the battery 200 may be reduced and the total weight
of the camera module 10 may be reduced, on the basis of ensuring a reasonable battery
life of the battery 200. In other embodiments, the second mounting hole 210 may be
a blind hole.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, a third mounting hole 410 is defined
on a surface 420 of the housing 400. The camera 320 of the lens assembly 300 may be
inserted through both the first mounting hole 110 and the third mounting hole 410.
The distance between the light incident surface 321 of the camera 320 and the surface
420 of the housing 400 is A, where a value of A may range from 0mm ≤ A ≤ 5mm. Specifically,
when the value of A is 0, the light incident surface 321 of the camera 320 may be
flush with the surface 420 of the housing 400. When the value of A is greater than
0, for example, the value of A is 3mm or 5mm, etc., the camera 320 protrudes a reasonable
distance out of the surface 420 of the housing 400. That is, the light incident surface
321 of the camera 320 protrudes a reasonable distance out of the surface 420 of the
housing 400. On the basis of a focal length of the camera 320 satisfying the shooting
function, the value of A may be reduced as much as possible, limiting a sudden visual
effect of the camera 320 due to the protrusion, and ensuring an overall consistency
of an appearance of the camera module 10.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3, the camera module 10 further includes a connecting
plug 150. The connecting plug 150 may be a micro USB plug or a type-c plug. The connecting
plug 150 is connected to the main board 100. In other embodiments, the connecting
plug 150 may be replaced with a connecting socket. The connecting plug 150 may be
inserted in the host 20 of the mobile terminal. The camera module 10 may exchange
data with the host 20 through the connecting plug 150, that is, the host 20 may control
the shooting function of the camera module 10 through a wired connection. The host
20 may also supply power to the camera module 10 through the connecting plug 150.
[0022] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, the connecting plug 150 may be rotatably
connected to the main board 100. For example, the connecting plug 150 rotates around
an axis extending in a width direction of the camera module 10. When the camera module
10 is inserted in the host 20, the connecting plug 150 may be "straightened" and unfolded,
that is, the connection plug 150 may be arranged in parallel with the battery 200.
When the camera module 10 is uninstalled from the host 20, the connecting plug 150
may be "bent" and retracted, that is, the connecting plug 150 may be rotated 90° relative
to the host 20. The connecting plug 150 is thus substantially perpendicular to the
battery 200. In a non-shooting state, the camera module 10 may be stored conveniently.
In a shooting state, the connecting plug 150 could be rotated relative to the main
board 100, to expand a shooting angle of the camera 320, such that the camera 320
could capture more shooting scenes.
[0023] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, a clearance gap 430 is defined on the surface of
the housing 400. The connecting plug 150 may be arranged passing through the clearance
gap 430. When the connecting plug 150 rotates, the clearance gap 430 provides a sufficient
rotation space for the connection plug 150, such that the connection plug 150 may
not be jammed due to interference during the rotation.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 2, the camera module 10 further includes an antenna spring 160.
The antenna spring 160 is arranged on the connecting surface 120 of the main board
100. For example, the antenna shrapnel 160 may receive and send Wi-Fi signals. When
the camera module 10 is removed from the host 20, a wireless connection between the
camera module 10 and the host 20 may be achieved through the antenna spring 160. Within
a receiving range of the Wi-Fi signals, the camera module 10 may be controlled remotely
through the mobile phone to take pictures. The camera module 10 may be placed in different
positions, and finally a multi-scene shooting or a multi-angle shooting may be realized.
[0025] Referring to 1 and FIG. 9, the present disclosure provides a mobile terminal. The
mobile terminal includes a host 20 and the camera module 10 as described above. The
camera module 10 and the host 20 may operate cooperatively. When the camera module
10 is installed on the host 20, the host 20 may control the shooting function of the
camera module 10 through a wired connection. When the camera module 10 is detached
from the host 20, the host 20 may control the shooting function of the camera module
10 through a wireless connection. The camera module 10 does not occupy the installation
space of the display 21 on the host 20. In the case that the shooting function is
performed and the overall size of the host 20 is constant, the area of the display
21 could be increased. In such a way, the ratio of the area of the display 21 to the
area of the host 20 could be increased. That is, the screen ratio of the host 20 could
be increased, such that the screen ratio of the entire mobile terminal could be increased.
[0026] The technical features of the embodiments described above may be arbitrarily combined.
In order to simplify the description, all possible combinations of the technical features
in the above embodiments have not been described. However, as long as there is no
contradiction in the combination of these technical features, the combination should
be considered as the scope described in this specification.
[0027] The above description is for the purpose of illustrating implementations of the present
disclosure, but not to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Any equivalent structural
or process transformation performed based on the drawings and the specification of
the present disclosure, applied directly and indirectly in other related art, should
be within the scope of the present disclosure. The protection scope of the present
disclosure shall be subject to the appended claims.
1. A camera module, capable of being detachably arranged on a host of a mobile terminal
and operating with the host cooperatively, comprising:
a main board, defining a first mounting hole;
a battery stacked on the main board and defining a second mounting hole corresponding
to the first mounting hole;
a lens assembly comprising a bracket and a camera, wherein the camera is installed
on the bracket, the bracket is contained in a space defined by both the first mounting
hole and second mounting hole, the camera is disposed through the first mounting hole,
and a light incident surface of the camera protrudes out of the first mounting hole;
and
a housing sleeved on the main board and the battery.
2. The camera module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main board has a connecting surface
arranged opposite to the battery, a first board to board (BTB) connector is arranged
on the connecting surface; the lens assembly further comprises a first flexible printed
circuit (FPC) board arranged on the bracket and connected to the camera, the first
FPC board has a mounting end, a part of the first FPC board is stacked between the
main board and the battery, the mounting end is bent to the connecting surface, and
a first BTB socket capable of being paired with the first BTB connector is arranged
on the mounting end.
3. The camera module as claimed in claim 2, wherein a part of the connecting surface
is recessed toward the battery to form a sink, and the first BTB connector is arranged
on a bottom wall of the sink.
4. The camera module as claimed in claim 2, further comprising an antenna spring sheet,
the antenna spring sheet being arranged on the connecting surface.
5. The camera module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the main board has a contacting surface
arranged toward the battery, a second BTB connector is arranged on the contacting
surface, a second FPC board is connected to the battery, a second BTB socket is arranged
on the second FPC board, and the second BTB socket is capable of being paired with
the second BTB connector.
6. The camera module as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface of the housing defines
a third mounting hole configured for the camera to be disposed through, and a distance
between the light incident surface of the camera and the surface of the housing is
A, where 0mm ≤ A ≤ 5mm.
7. The camera module as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a connecting plug configured
to transmit current and data, the connecting plug being connected to the main board
and capable of being inserted in the host.
8. The camera module as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting plug is rotatably
connected to the main board, a clearance gap is defined on the housing, the connecting
plug is arranged passing through the clearance gap, and the clearance gap provides
a rotation space for the connecting plug.
9. A camera module, capable of being detachably arranged on a host of a mobile terminal
and operating with the host cooperatively, comprising:
a main board, defining on the main board;
a battery stacked on the main board, wherein the battery has a stacking surface capable
of being stacked on the main board, and defines a second mounting hole on the stacking
surface corresponding to the first mounting hole;
a lens assembly comprising a bracket and a camera, wherein the camera is installed
on the bracket, the bracket is contained in a space defined by both the first mounting
hole and second mounting hole, and a light incident surface of the camera is arranged
on a same side where the stacking surface is arranged; and
a housing sleeved on the main board and the battery.
10. A mobile terminal, comprising a host and the camera module as claimed in any one of
claims 1 to 9, wherein the camera module is wired or wirelessly connected with the
host.
11. A camera module, comprising:
a main board comprising a contacting surface and a connecting surface arranged opposite
to the contacting surface, wherein the main board defines a first mounting hole penetrating
the contacting surface and the connecting surface;
a battery stacked on the contacting surface and defining a second mounting hole communicating
with the first mounting hole;
a lens assembly comprising a camera, wherein a part of the lens assembly is disposed
through the first mounting hole and second mounting hole, and an ambient light on
a side of the connecting surface is capable of entering into the camera; and
a housing sleeved on the main board and the battery.
12. The camera module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the lens assembly comprises a bracket,
the camera is arranged on the bracket, and the bracket is arranged passing through
the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.
13. The camera module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the lens assembly comprises a first
flexible printed circuit (FPC) board arranged on the bracket and connected to the
camera, the first FPC board is bent from a side where the battery is arranged to a
side where the connecting surface is arranged; one of the side where the connecting
surface of the main board is arranged, and an end of the first FPC board away from
the camera is arranged with a first board to board (BTB) connector; the other one
of the side where the connecting surface of the main board is arranged, and an end
of the first FPC board away from the camera is arranged with a first BTB socket; the
first BTB socket is capable of being paired with the BTB connector.
14. The camera module as claimed in claim 13, wherein a sink passing through a margin
of the connecting surface is defined on the connecting surface, the first BTB connector
and the first BTB socket paired to each other are received in the sink.
15. The camera module as claimed in claim 11, wherein a second FPC board is connected
to the battery; one of an end of the second FPC board away from the battery and the
main board is arranged with a second BTB connector; the other one of the end of the
second FPC board away from the battery and the main board is arranged with a second
BTB socket; the second BTB socket is capable of being paired with the second BTB connector.
16. The camera module as claimed in claim 11, wherein a surface of the housing defines
a third mounting hole configured for the camera to be disposed through, a side of
the camera for the light entering is protruded from the housing, or the side of the
camera for the light entering is flush with the surface of the housing.
17. The camera module as claimed in claim 11, wherein the camera module comprises a connecting
terminal connected to the main board, and the connecting terminal is configured to
be inserted in a host, to transmit a current or a data between the camera module and
the host.
18. The camera module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the connecting terminal is a micro
USB plug, or a micro USB socket, or a type-c plug, or a type-c socket.
19. The camera module as claimed in claim 17, wherein the connecting terminal is rotatably
connected to the main board, a clearance gap is defined on the housing, and the connecting
terminal is arranged passing through the clearance gap.
20. A mobile terminal, comprising a host and the camera module as claimed in any one of
claims 11 to 19, wherein the camera module is capable of being installed on and detached
from the host, and wirelessly connected with the host after being detached.